You had four duty stations in eight years. Maybe five. Some were stateside. One was overseas. One was a deployed location you can barely talk about. Now you need to put all of that on a federal resume, and you have no idea how to format it.

Most federal resume guides skip this part entirely. They talk about keywords and bullet points. They cover hours per week. But duty stations? Silence. And that creates real problems.

HR specialists use your duty station information to verify where you worked, confirm geographic eligibility, and validate your employment history. Get this wrong and your application stalls before anyone reads your bullets. I have been hired into six federal career fields. Every single time, duty station format mattered. This guide covers the exact format for every type of assignment you might have held.

Why Do Federal Resumes Need Duty Station Information?

Federal resumes are different from civilian resumes. One of the biggest differences is how much detail goes into each work experience block. On a civilian resume, you list a company name and city. On a federal resume, you list much more.

USA Staffing (the system behind USAJOBS) requires specific location data for each position. HR specialists review this data during the qualification check. They look for four things.

• Geographic eligibility: Some federal jobs require local candidates or give preference to applicants in the commuting area. Your duty station proves you were there.
• Employment verification: OPM and agency HR teams cross-reference your listed locations against military records. A mismatch creates a red flag.
• Area of consideration: Many job announcements limit who can apply based on location. Your duty station history shows whether you qualify under those restrictions.
• Pay locality verification: For veterans applying to positions with locality pay, your previous duty station can matter for pay-setting purposes.

If you skip duty station information or list it wrong, your resume looks incomplete. HR specialists see hundreds of applications per announcement. An incomplete federal resume gives them a reason to move past yours.

What Is the Correct Format for Duty Stations on a Federal Resume?

Every work experience entry on your federal resume needs a location. For military assignments, that means listing the duty station where you were physically based. Here is the exact format to use.

CONUS (Continental United States) Assignments

For stateside duty stations, list the installation name, city, state, and ZIP code. Use the installation name as your employer name, and put the location in the location field.

Notice the difference. The correct version names the actual installation. It includes the ZIP code and country. It also includes the rating and pay grade in the job title. This is the level of detail USAJOBS requires in 2026.

Standard CONUS Format

Follow this structure for every stateside assignment.

• Employer: U.S. [Branch], [Installation Name]
• Location: [City], [State] [ZIP], United States
• Job Title: [Military Title] ([Rate/MOS] / [Pay Grade])
• Hours per week: 40
• Dates: MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY
• Supervisor: [Name], [Phone], [May/May Not Contact]

Every field matters. The hours per week format is always 40 for active duty military. Do not list overtime or extra hours. Just 40.

Multiple Assignments at the Same Base

Many service members hold two or three different jobs at the same duty station. List each position as a separate work experience entry. Use the same location for each one but change the job title, dates, and duties.

This is critical. An E-5 who spent three years at Fort Liberty might have been a team leader for 18 months and then a training NCO for 18 months. Those are two different positions with different duties. List them separately.

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How Do You List OCONUS and Overseas Assignments?

Overseas assignments need extra attention. The format changes depending on whether you were at a permanent installation or a temporary location.

Permanent Overseas Installations

For bases like Ramstein, Camp Humphreys, or Yokosuka, use the installation name with the country. Do not use a U.S. state abbreviation.

• Employer: U.S. Air Force, Ramstein Air Base
• Location: Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany

Or for the Pacific:

• Employer: U.S. Navy, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka
• Location: Yokosuka, Japan

Use the actual city name where the base is located. Do not just write "Germany" or "Japan" with no city. HR specialists need the specific location.

APO/FPO Addresses

Military mail uses APO (Army Post Office) and FPO (Fleet Post Office) addresses. These are not physical locations. Do not use APO/FPO as your duty station location on a federal resume.

APO/FPO is a mailing address. It tells the postal system where to route your mail. It does not tell HR where you worked. Always use the actual city and country.

Ship-Based Assignments

If your duty station was a ship, list the ship name and home port. The home port is your duty station location.

• Employer: U.S. Navy, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
• Location: San Diego, CA 92136, United States

The ship moves. Your duty station does not. Use the home port for the period you were assigned. If the home port changed during your tour (port swaps happen), use the home port that applied for the majority of your assignment. If the split was close to even, list the most recent home port.

For more on formatting Navy assignments, check the guide on Navy unit addresses on your resume.

What About Deployed Locations and TDY Assignments?

Deployments and temporary duty create the most confusion on federal resumes. Your permanent duty station stays the same during a deployment. A seven-month deployment does not change your duty station.

Deployments

Keep your permanent duty station as the location. Mention the deployment in your duty descriptions. Here is how.

Location field: Naval Base San Diego, San Diego, CA 92136, United States

In your duties section: "Deployed to U.S. Central Command area of operations for 7 months in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Managed supply chain logistics for 1,200 personnel across three forward operating bases."

This approach keeps your duty station accurate while showing your deployment experience. HR specialists understand deployments. They know your permanent station did not change.

Extended TDY (Over 90 Days)

Temporary duty assignments under 90 days do not need separate entries. But extended TDY over 90 days can be listed as a separate position if the duties were different from your home station job.

Ask yourself two questions before making a TDY a separate entry.

• Were the duties different? If you did the same job at a different location, keep it under your main entry. If you filled a different role (like augmenting another unit as an operations planner), it can be separate.
• Does it help your application? If the TDY duties match the job you are applying for better than your home station duties, list it separately. If not, just mention it in your main entry.

Combat Zones and Imminent Danger Areas

For deployments to combat zones, you do not need to name the exact base or location. Use the theater or area of operations.

• Acceptable: "Deployed to U.S. Central Command AOR" or "Deployed to Southwest Asia"
• Also acceptable: "Deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan" (if the location is not classified)
• Not recommended: Listing a classified forward operating base by name

Include the combat zone in your duties text. This matters for veterans preference and for showing the HR specialist the scope of your experience.

How Do You Handle Classified or Sensitive Locations?

Some assignments involve locations that are classified or sensitive. This is more common than people think. Special operations units, intelligence billets, and certain embassy assignments all fall into this category.

General Rules for Classified Locations

Never put classified information on a federal resume. A resume is not a classified document, and USAJOBS is not a classified system. If the location is classified, use a general description.

• Use the parent command location: If you were assigned to a unit at a location you cannot name, use the parent command headquarters as your duty station.
• Use the region: "Various OCONUS locations" or "Multiple locations, EUCOM AOR" works when you cannot name the country.
• State the restriction: You can write "Exact location withheld due to operational security" in your duties section. HR specialists who review military resumes understand this.

Special Operations and Intelligence Billets

For SOF or intelligence assignments, you have options.

• Use the installation: If the base is known (like Fort Liberty, Dam Neck, or Coronado), list the base. The specific unit can be generalized.
• Generalize the unit: Write "U.S. Navy Special Warfare Command" or "U.S. Army Special Operations Command" as the employer. This is enough for HR to verify.
• Contact your security manager: If you are unsure what you can list, your former command security manager can tell you what is releasable.

The hiring manager who reviews your resume after HR screening will likely have a clearance if the position requires one. They can ask follow-up questions during the interview. Your resume just needs to be accurate and unclassified.

Common Duty Station Mistakes That Hurt Your Application

After reviewing thousands of federal applications, I see the same duty station errors come up over and over. Any one of these can slow down your application or cause HR to question your work history.

Mistake 1: Listing the Branch as Your Employer

Writing "U.S. Army" as your employer with no installation name is too vague. It is like writing "United States Government" as your employer for a GS position. HR needs to know where you actually worked.

Fix: Always include the installation or command name. "U.S. Army, Fort Cavazos" or "U.S. Marine Corps, Camp Lejeune."

Mistake 2: Using APO/FPO as a Location

Already covered above, but this is worth repeating. APO and FPO are mail routing codes. "APO, AE 09096" tells HR nothing about your physical work location. Use the actual city and country.

Mistake 3: Forgetting the Country

Listing "Yokosuka" with no country is a problem. HR specialists process applications from all branches and all locations. Not everyone knows where Yokosuka is. Always include the country for overseas duty stations.

Mistake 4: Listing Every TDY as a Separate Position

A two-week training TDY to Fort Sill does not need its own work experience entry. Too many entries clutter your resume and eat up space on your 2-page federal resume. Only list TDY separately if it was extended (90+ days) and the duties were different.

Mistake 5: Inconsistent Date Formatting

If one duty station shows "Jan 2019 - Dec 2021" and the next shows "03/2018 - 01/2019," your resume looks sloppy. Pick one format and stick with it throughout. MM/YYYY is the standard for federal resumes.

How HR Specialists Use Your Duty Station Information

Understanding what happens on the other side of your application helps you format your resume correctly. Here is what HR specialists actually do with your duty station data.

Step 1: Verify Your Employment History

HR compares the locations and dates on your resume against your military records. They check for gaps, overlaps, and inconsistencies. A duty station that does not match your service record is a problem. It triggers additional verification, which slows your application.

Step 2: Check Geographic Eligibility

Many federal job announcements are open only to candidates in specific areas. Some say "current federal employees in the commuting area." Others target specific geographic regions. Your duty station history helps HR determine if you meet these requirements.

For veterans, your last duty station matters most. If you separated from Fort Liberty and apply for a position at Fort Liberty, your geographic eligibility is clear. If you separated from Camp Pendleton and apply for a position at Fort Liberty, HR looks at your current address instead.

Step 3: Assess for Special Experience

Some positions require experience in specific environments. A logistics job at a major port might prefer candidates who worked at similar installations. An intelligence position might favor applicants who served in specific theaters. Your duty station information tells that story without you having to spell it out.

This is why listing the actual installation matters. "U.S. Navy" does not tell the hiring manager anything about your environment. "Naval Station Norfolk" tells them you worked at the largest naval base in the world. That context matters when they are comparing you to other applicants. The category rating system ranks you against everyone else who applied.

Step 4: Validate Supervisor Information

Federal resumes include supervisor names and phone numbers for each position. HR may contact your former supervisors as part of the verification process. The duty station helps them locate the right person. If you list "Fort Cavazos" but your supervisor was at "Fort Sill," that discrepancy needs an explanation.

Keep a record of your supervisors at each duty station. Names, ranks, phone numbers. You will need them. If you cannot reach a former supervisor, list the duty station front desk or the unit orderly room as an alternative contact.

Putting It All Together: A Complete Example

Here is what a full work experience entry looks like with proper duty station formatting. This example shows an Army NCO who served at two installations with a deployment in between.

Entry 1:

U.S. Army, Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg)
Fayetteville, NC 28310, United States
Supply Sergeant (92Y / E-6), 40 hrs/week
06/2019 to 04/2022
Supervisor: SFC James Rodriguez, (910) 555-0147, May Contact

Managed supply operations for a 145-person infantry company. Tracked over $4.2M in organizational property using GCSS-Army. Reduced property loss by 32% over 18 months through monthly inventories and hands-on accountability checks. Deployed to U.S. Central Command AOR for 9 months in support of Operation Spartan Shield. Maintained 98% equipment readiness across 47 vehicles and 200+ individual weapons systems during deployment.

Entry 2:

U.S. Army, Camp Humphreys
Pyeongtaek, South Korea
Unit Supply Specialist (92Y / E-5), 40 hrs/week
03/2017 to 05/2019
Supervisor: SSG Maria Chen, (DSN) 315-555-0198, May Contact

Processed supply requests for a 300-person battalion headquarters. Managed an annual budget of $1.8M in expendable and durable supplies. Trained four junior supply clerks on GCSS-Army procedures and property accountability standards.

Notice a few things about this example. Each entry has the installation name, not just "U.S. Army." The overseas entry uses the actual city and country, not an APO address. The deployment goes in the duties section, not the location field. Dates use MM/YYYY format. Supervisor information is complete.

That is the standard. Every entry on your federal resume should follow this pattern. The federal resume format is different from civilian for a reason. HR needs this level of detail to process your application.

What to Do Next

Go back to your federal resume right now. Look at every work experience entry. Check whether you listed the installation name, city, state or country, and ZIP code. If any entry just says "U.S. Army" or "U.S. Navy" with no installation, fix it today.

Then check your overseas entries. Replace any APO/FPO addresses with the actual city and country. Make sure deployments show up in your duties text, not the location field.

If you are starting from scratch or need help with the full federal resume format, BMR's Federal Resume Builder handles the formatting for you. It was built by a veteran who got hired into six federal career fields, and it knows exactly what USAJOBS expects.

Need to find the right keywords for your USAJOBS resume? That is the other half of the equation. Duty station format gets your resume past the verification stage. Keywords get you ranked at the top.